Cleaning cutting boards

Here's a good example of disinfection: I use hydrogen peroxide to clean my cutting board.
(My cutting board is a wooden one.) Pour some 3% hydrogen peroxide on
the cutting board, spread it around with a sponge, and let it sit and
fizz. That fizzing is killing germs. Then wipe it off with a sponge.
Repeat if you think it needs it, and we're done. (Hydrogen peroxide does
take some time to work, so if possible, give it a few minutes, when you
have the time.)

This is really easy to do, but very powerful.
Lots of germs can fester on a cutting board. This simple procedure helps
keep things clean. And I mean really clean - the kind of clean that is not just for show, but really counts. This is one of my favorite uses for hydrogen peroxide, as I feel it really makes a difference in keeping my kitchen and my food clean.

Cleaning compost buckets

I also use hydrogen peroxide in my compost bucket. I just pour
about 1/2 inch to an inch of 3% hydrogen peroxide into the bottom of the
bucket. First, this cleans out the bottom of the bucket, to start
things off right. Then it keeps things from getting gross as quickly as I
add food scraps. So, I can keep that compost bucket in my kitchen, with
a lot less smell and bother, and for a bit longer. I still have to
take it out and dump it on the compost heap, but not quite so soon.

Keeping sink brushes clean

I have a container next to my sink that is filled with 3% hydrogen
peroxide. This is where my sink brushes go when I'm not using them. They
never get gross, they stay clean.

This would also work for any kind of skin brush that you use in the bathtub, just be sure to use a plastic container. (We don't want glass or ceramics near the tub that can fall and break.)

Cleaning out garbage cans

I was dragging my garbage can and recycle can back from the street,
and noticing they were pretty dirty. As I put them back where they
stay, I took a peek in at the bottom. Just as I thought: gross. The
next morning I headed out with a gallon bottle of 3% peroxide and poured
about an inch or so into the bottom of each can. The peroxide started
fizzing away, and I left for work. Next morning, I added water (with a
garden hose) and dumped it all out in the garden. (Then watered the
garden thoroughly, to make sure the peroxide was diluted enough to be on
the plants.) This whole process was almost no work. I'd be very
reluctant to get any more involved with a garbage can than this, but
pouring in some peroxide and then washing it out -- I can do that.
Worked pretty well, although the sides of the can are still dirty. The
bottom was certainly the worst, though, so this seems a rather inspired
cleaning idea, to me.

Here's a little experiment for you:

Get out a bowl or other container. Pour in a cup or two of 3% hydrogen peroxide.

Now,
collect up a few items around that might have some mold or germs
lurking: a kitchen sponge or scrubie, a toothbrush, or any brushes or
washcloths you use in the shower.

One at a time, place these
items into the 3% hydrogen peroxide. Ideally, you want to have enough
hydrogen peroxide to completely cover the item. (For a toothbrush or any
other brush, you'd need only enough to cover the bristles of the brush,
not the handle.) Wait. Are there lots of bubbles? Or just a few? Or
even wild bubbling all over the place? That's hydrogen peroxide at
work.

I've done this "experiment" with lots of things. Some
fizz a little, and some fizz a lot. The biggest reaction I ever saw was
with a "loofa sponge" that had been sitting in my shower. When I put it
into the container of hydrogen peroxide, the bubbles quickly rose up
and over the top of container! Wow. Even though I knew the hydrogen
peroxide would clean it up, this left me feeling pretty wary of that
loofa sponge! I think I threw it away, actually.

Now, think: what else in your house gets icky?

You can let this information sink in over a week or a month. As you go about
your life, you may notice places or items that could use some disinfection. Try
using hydrogen peroxide for sanitation, to clean up yucky messes
wherever you find them. Just try things out, and see how it works and
how it feels. I've been using it to clean cutting boards and compost
pails for years, and I love it. How many home uses for hydrogen peroxide
for sanitizing can you find?

Home uses for hydrogen peroxide: Why killing germs is important

A lot of disease starts with simply being exposed to germs and
toxins. That could be mold, or viruses, or bacteria. Taking advantage
of these home uses for hydrogen peroxide for disinfection and routine
cleaning will greatly reduce the germs around your house. This means
less exposure for your whole family, any companion animals that live
with you, and visitors to your home.

It's simple to
disinfect things this way. Other parts of this site talk about home uses
for hydrogen peroxide to clean walls, carpets, patios, boats, pools --
all sorts of things. That's all simple too. But remember that a lot of
these things go back to the idea of less germs. A simple idea.
Good for everybody, and especially important for folks with weak immune
systems. Great for babies. And no harmful chemicals!